Rome, Milan, Palermo, Catania, Siena, Sassari,La Spezia involved

(ANSA) - Rome, September 19 - Hotel workers with the
international NH chain say they'll strike on Friday to protest
the layoffs of hundreds of their colleagues.

Italy has 20 properties with the NH Hotel chain, one of the
largest internationally and which recently announced the layoffs
of 382 workers.

The Italian properties employ more than 1,400 and include
hotels in Rome, Milan, Palermo, Catania, Siena, Sassari and La
Spezia.

Their union, CGIL, says the hotel chain "shows no interest
in seeking solutions for the protection and preservation of
employment, and does not take into account the importance of
competence and professionalism of its employees".

Planned protests include a sit-in from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in
front of Rome's NH Leonardo da Vinci hotel in Via dei Gracchi
near the Vatican; in Milan, two protests are planned, one at the
hotel Touring on Piazza della Repubblica and the other outside
the headquarters of NH Italy.